


She'll Still Glow

by fireflysglow_archivist



Category: Firefly
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2004-03-26
Updated: 2004-03-26
Packaged: 2019-04-29 13:59:41
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,051
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14474187
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/fireflysglow_archivist/pseuds/fireflysglow_archivist
Summary: The final chapter in my "Bits of Time" series





	She'll Still Glow

**Author's Note:**

> Note from alice ttlg, the archivist: this story was originally archived at [Firefly’s Glow](https://fanlore.org/wiki/Firefly%27s_Glow), and was moved to the AO3 as part of the Open Doors project in 2018. I tried to reach out to all creators about the move and posted announcements, but may not have reached everyone. If you are the creator and would like to claim this work, please contact me using the e-mail address on [Firefly's Glow collection profile](https://archiveofourown.org/collections/fireflysglow/profile).

She'll Still Glow

## She'll Still Glow

### by Starrbaby

Simon leaned over Jayne's bullet wound. "Hey, Doc" Jayne squinted, "That lamp is pretty gorram bright." 

"Um hum." Simon didn't look up. "You don't deserve her." 

Jayne knit his eyebrows together, "What the hell does that have to do with the lamp?" 

Simon looked up from Jayne's chest, "Nothing, but she'll be here soon and I want to make a few things clear." 

Jayne looked at Simon out of the corner of his eyes. "You sure wanted to 'accidentally' mess up when you fixed me, didn't you?" 

Simon rolled his eyes and rubbed the bridge of his nose. "As I've mentioned before Jayne, as long as you're on my table you're safe." 

"But you wanted to. Then I wouldn't be around to - " 

"She chose you, Jayne." 

Jayne leaned closer to Simon's face and bared his teeth, "Bullshit. I saw you two." 

Simon did not back away contrary to Jayne's expectations. "And afterwards she told me that it was a mistake. She . . . " He looked down. 

"She what?" Jayne demanded. 

"She told me she loves you." 

Jayne opened his mouth to answer, but no sound came out. He closed his jaw. He looked at the doctor with an ice-cold stare, "Do you love her?" 

Simon raised his eyes to meet Jayne's stare, "Not the way she needs me to." 

"But you hate that she loves me, don't you?" 

"Yes, I do." 

Jayne leaned back in the bed, and grinned slightly, "Good thing for that hippopotamus oath." 

Simon stared at him blankly, blinked twice, and shook his head, "It's Hippocratic, you trained ape." 

Jayne sat up abruptly ignoring the pain in his chest and grabbed a fistful of Simon's shirt. He leaned towards Simon while pulling the smaller man in towards him. Their faces were inches apart. "She loves me, though, " Jayne growled, " 'an all your fancy trainin' and words don't change that." He let go of Simon's shirt with a shove and leaned back again. He smiled. 

Slowly Jayne turned his face towards Simon. "You didn't have to tell me that she said that. You could have let me go on thinkin' you two had somethin' goin' on." 

"She was my first friend here. I owe her." He brushed his shirt back into place with shaking hands. He raised his face and looked Jayne in the eyes, "I didn't do it for you." 

Both men turned their head towards the door as they heard Kaylee's unmistakable trotting footsteps in the hall. Simon made his way to the door and smiled warmly at Kaylee as she entered the room. She didn't look at him. She saw Jayne was awake and bounded over to the bed beaming. 

Simon left the room to find River. He needed to get her tucked in after taking her medicine. 

She needed him. 

* * *

River sat in her bed listening to the story Simon was reading. He was perched on the edge of her bed nose deep in the book. He was so intent on the story that he didn't hear the soft tap on the door. River did though, and jumped out of bed and ran to open it. 

Simon lowered the book to see River pulling Kaylee into the bed room. "Sit here!" River demanded, and pushed her onto the bed next to Simon. She sat next the Kaylee and curled up next to her. She laid her head in Kaylee's lap. "Our friend is here, Simon." 

Simon looked at Kaylee and forced a small smile, "Come to hear the story?" 

Kaylee's mouth turned up slightly at the corners, "Yeah," she cast her eyes downward, "'an I was kinda hopin' we could hang out after River went to bed." She ran her fingers through River's long dark hair. 

Simon looked pained, "What about . . .?" 

"He's sleepin'." She tucked rivers hair behind her ear, "I just . . . ." 

River lifted her head from Kaylee's lap "I'm still your friend." 

Kaylee smiled down at her, "I know you are, sweetie. " Both girls turned their faces towards the very nervous doctor. Simon looked at their pleading expectant eyes. 

He reached his hand out and rested it on Kaylee's shoulder, "Of course we can talk for a while after I put River to bed." He sighed, removed his hand, and scratched the back of his head, "I just don't want to be beaten to a pulp for being your friend." 

Kaylee laughed, "Jayne was the one who told me I should hang out with you while he rested. Said something 'bout you bein' a better friend to me than I'll ever know." 

Simon smiled, "You're just as good of a friend to me." 

"He also said that if'n you tried any thing he'd break your arm off and shove it up your - " 

"Okay, I get the point." Simon raised his hands palms out. 

River rested her head back in Kaylee's lap. "Keep reading, gee gee." 

Simon raised the book and continued his story of dragons and princesses. Kaylee leaned down a whispered into River's ear, "You won." 

River turned her head to look up at Kaylee. She smiled to herself. River knew that she hadn't won. Simon wasn't the prize, and there was no competition to begin with. However, if River had not managed to keep Simon away from Kaylee at just the right moment . . . if she had not convinced Jayne to let his heart have its way, then Kaylee would have fallen in love with Simon. 

River turned her face back down into Kaylee's lap. She knew that she and her brother would not be on Serenity forever. If Kaylee and Simon had fallen in love either Kaylee would follow them off the ship or she would be too heart broken to take care of Serenity. At least now when they leave, Jayne will comfort Kaylee. She'll lose a friend when Simon leaves, but she won't lose her heart. 

River smiled to herself.  
Jayne will know what it means to love. Kaylee will still glow.   
Serenity will keep flying. 

**FIN**

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Title:   **She'll Still Glow**   
Series Name:   **Bits of Time**   
Author:   **Starrbaby**   [email]   
Details:   **Series**  |  **PG-13**  |  **gen**  |  **5k**  |  **03/26/04**   
Characters:  Kaylee, Jayne, Simon   
Pairings:  k/j   
Summary:  The final chapter in my "Bits of Time" series   
Sequel to:  Waiting   
  



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